The tightest oil filter in the world - EVER. I'm keeping this filter for posterity.

[MotoRevive]

I did a mobile service on a clean low mileage 1250GS today. The bike was last serviced at Bowker Motorrad last year.

I slid my Genuine BMW tool over the filter as I've done a million times and it just span..... No grip. hmmmm.

I had a closer look at it seems the filter had been almost rounded off. UH OH ...

A good trick is to place sheets of paper over the filter then knock the filter tool over. It takes up the slack.. After multiple attempts I finally got the filter tool to hold firm. But this filter was TIGHT... I swapped the short 3/8 ratchet for a longer one. Then a 1/2 ratchet. Then finally I had to get out the 2ft breaker bar... Yes. For an oil filter.

The customer had to hold the bike still as I bounced on the filter tool with a 2ft long breaker bar. I almost pulled this fully loaded GSA off it's stand.

Take a look at this filter... The seal is flattened. And almost cut to pieces with the force.

The outer case of the filter is warped outwards with the insane force it was put onto the engine with. I think this is the tightest filter I've ever found on a bike in the last 25 years.

I would guess through experience that this filter was put on with a force of over 200NM. We are talking a high powered 1/2 rattle gun or an ape of a man with a huge ratchet handle. WHY ??? It seems like it was done with intentional malice.

At a main dealer.... Centers of technical excellence... They are not.....

It was a miracle the threads on the engine weren't damaged.

 

[parkys100]

I did a mobile service on a clean low mileage 1250GS today. The bike was last serviced at Bowker Motorrad last year.

I slid my Genuine BMW tool over the filter as I've done a million times and it just span..... No grip. hmmmm.

I had a closer look at it seems the filter had been almost rounded off. UH OH ...

A good trick is to place sheets of paper over the filter then knock the filter tool over. It takes up the slack.. After multiple attempts I finally got the filter tool to hold firm. But this filter was TIGHT... I swapped the short 3/8 ratchet for a longer one. Then a 1/2 ratchet. Then finally I had to get out the 2ft breaker bar... Yes. For an oil filter.

The customer had to hold the bike still as I bounced on the filter tool with a 2ft long breaker bar. I almost pulled this fully loaded GSA off it's stand.

Take a look at this filter... The seal is flattened. And almost cut to pieces with the force.

The outer case of the filter is warped outwards with the insane force it was put onto the engine with. I think this is the tightest filter I've ever found on a bike in the last 25 years.

I would guess through experience that this filter was put on with a force of over 200NM. We are talking a high powered 1/2 rattle gun or an ape of a man with a huge ratchet handle. WHY ??? It seems like it was done with intentional malice.

At a main dealer.... Centers of technical excellence... They are not.....

It was a miracle the threads on the engine weren't damaged.


View attachment 532812

No had tight plus 90 deg turn there ..?

 

[Udders]

Neanderthals.

 

[siddo]

I had to bang a screwdriver into one as the filter was so tight!

 

[MotoRevive]

No had tight plus 90 deg turn there ..?

Hand tight plus 900 degrees on this one.

 

[MotoRevive]

I had to bang a screwdriver into one as the filter was so tight!

That wouldn't have done this one. It would have torn the filter in half before it budged.

 

[JJH]

Brave man tackling that. JJH

 

[wessie]

It seems like it was done with intentional malice.

Bowkers closed last year, so this is could be correct.
https://www.ukgser.com/community/threads/bmw-motorrad-preston-bowkers.499876/

Maybe this poor standard was behind them losing the franchise? Maybe a disgruntled employee with a redundancy notice in hand, or an unskilled ape pushed into the workshop to complete jobs as all the skilled ones had left?

Still unacceptable.

 

[Santa-2512]

So it was nipped up lol

That's the trouble with these amateurs, lol

Never experienced the power of the Friday bike

All joking aside, why on God's name do people see the need to tighten something to almost destruction,

You see no thread lock so it might undo

Or someone added a zero onto the torque wrench setting lol

 

[JoeBiff]

Hand tight plus 900 degrees on this one.

An independent near York did the same to mine, several years ago.
Sounds as if the same bloke might have gone on to work for Bowkers

 

[Welly]

I've a similar issue with the filter on my Kawasaki. I've not been able to remove it. So I've just changed the oil and kicked the filter issue down the road.

I tried using my usual filter removal tool over the end but it spun. Tried my strap wrench but it's just starting to crush the filter. Sandpaper around the filter, removal tool banged on, great grip but not budging. I'm afraid it would just twist the casing and rip it off at filter base then bike would be unrideable

It was me that put it on. I've done all the services on my bikes and just installed it the usual way. I'm paranoid about situations like this so never overtighten.

I think this problem has been caused by the fact it's 4 years since filter was changed and it's "welded" itself on.

There's a local bike shop,non dealership, who work a lot on "problem" bikes . I'm hoping they'll have a solution.

 

[Barnoe]

It was me that put it on.

Ever heard the term "Give it some Welly!"

I now know where it comes from

 

[Nin]

It wasn’t leaking though, was it?